checks & balances
by ABSea
Summary: counterbalancing influences
1. Chapter 1

Fate can be a funny thing. It's a fickle ally and a treasonous foe. It sneaks up on you when you're least expecting it and changes your perception of the world. You may know where you're headed, or at least live your life under the impression that you do, and then suddenly everything you thought you knew just... changes.

Fate is beyond your control. It needs no strategy or logical explanation; it cannot be cajoled.

For Josh Lyman, the concept of fate was the enemy. He was a man who built his reputation on his ability to strong arm his opponents into submission, and the concept of something being beyond his control was one with which he wasn't familiar.

...

"There's a woman in your office."

"And it's not even my birthday, Jude." Josh laughed at his own joke, smirking at his assistant.

"She's your 1:00." There was certainly no humor in the statement.

"1:00?" Josh glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's 2:15."

"You told me when I started this job that there are some people that we always keep waiting, and Senator Berkley was at the top of that list," Jude reminded his boss. "Something about playing hardball? Professional hostility?"

"That does sound like me," Josh conceded. "But that," he nodded towards the slender woman sitting in his visitor's chair, "is not Lewis Berkley."

"No," Jude agreed, peering into Josh's office for a better look. "No, it is not."

Josh scowled at his aide, pouring himself a cup of coffee and gathering his folders once again. "Berkley must not care too much about this initiative or he wouldn't have sent a staffer with this level of political naivety. I mean, who in this town waits over an hour for anything?"

He walked through the bullpen and into his office, tossing his belongings down on his desk.

"I'm Josh Lyman," he began, barely looking at her as he busied himself moving documents around on the top of his desk. He'd have her out of here in 5 minutes, sent back to her office with no bargaining power.

"I'm Donna Moss," she stood, smiling, and extended her hand. He was immediately stunned by her beauty. She had kind blue eyes and a certain grace about here that momentarily stunned him.

He reached across his desk shook her hand, even more taken aback at her kind demeanor. She was going to be eaten alive in this town.

"Sorry about the wait," he told her casually, sitting down in his chair and opening a folder for no other reason than to give her the impression that this meeting was low on his priority list.

"Well, you're a very important man," she stated with a bat to her eye.

"Well, I- Yes." He paused awkwardly, glancing up at he as he realized what she'd said. "Yes. Thank you."

"I'm here to speak with you regarding the funding initiative for early childhood education that is being proposed by Senator Berkley's office"

"I'm aware," he took a sip of his coffee. "You have about five minutes before my next meeting so you'd better start talking," he stated as he continued to read the unimportant memo.

"Well," she began, "the bill proposes…" she trailed off almost immediately.

Stage fright, Josh thought. He sometimes had this effect on women.

"I'm sorry," she began in a much different tone, sounding irritated. "But are you always this rude?"

Josh's eyebrows practically shot up to his hairline. "Am I- huh?"

Donna didn't miss a beat. "I asked you if you're always this rude," she repeated. "I wasn't sure if I had done something to offend you in the last 2 minutes because, and this is just to recap, I came to your office with minimal notice, accommodating your schedule, and I waited for over an hour for this appointment which is, apparently, only going to allot me five minutes to make my argument."

Josh quickly snapped the folder shut, sitting it down on his desk and suspiciously eyeing the doorway for bystanders, wondering if this was a joke.

"By all means, then," he told her in a voice considerably shakier than normal, "make your case." He mentally chastised himself for giving in. He had to get himself back into bulldog mode.

"Thank you," she gave him a polite smile, efficiently outlining the reasons that Senator Berkley hoped the White House would support the bill.

"And that's all great," Josh interrupted towards the end of her short speech. "But at the end of the day, we aren't going to force the American public into-"

"You're not forcing them into anything," she jumped in. "You're giving them a choice."

"But that's where you're wrong, Ms. Moss," he told her, knowing he had just won the argument. Though he was immediately captivated by this woman, he had to remember that, though it may appear otherwise for the moment, he was actually having this argument with Lewis Berkley. "The problem with your boss' proposed system is that-"

"Mr. Lyman? Mr. McGarry needs you in his office," Jude announced from the doorway.

"Can't get a word in around here and it's my own office." Josh muttered as he gathered his portfolio.

"I'll wait," Donna announced without preamble.

"Excuse me?" For the second time in five minutes, Josh was completely caught off guard.

"I said that I'll wait," Donna offered in a less confident voice, ticking her hair behind her ear. "I think that this is an important issue. And an issue that President Bartlet would surely support. So, I'll wait for you. We can continue our conversation after your meeting."

"It doesn't really work that way," Josh interjected.

"What about tomorrow?" Donna sounded hopeful. "Or later in the week? I can meet you early in the morning or in the evening."

"That won't be necessary," he headed towards the door.

"I can take you to a preschool!" She interjected suddenly. He could tell that she was grasping at straws. "You can walk through one of the locations eligible for extra funding."

He turned around, glancing at her. "Okay, you're on. Thursday. 9:00. Leave the information with Jude," he smiled. He wasn't sure exactly what it was about this woman, but he wanted to give her a chance. She had... a quality. He wasn't sure what it was, and he didn't know why he even cared, but he wanted to figure it out. He wanted to see her again.

"Thank you, Mr. Lyman," she beamed at him.

Josh found himself going a little bit weak in the knees at her smile.

"You can call me Josh," he told her somewhat shyly.

"Thanks, Josh. I'll see you Thursday."


	2. Chapter 2

Josh strode down the street, towards the address Donna had provided him the day before. He'd had to park at the end of the block, and he'd been engrossed in conversation with Leo on the way over, ignoring several calls from Jude. It was a busy morning in the West Wing and he'd had a million other things to do, yet he found himself halfway across town taking a meeting that should have been delegated to a lower level staffer. And he was early, nonetheless.

"Josh!" Donna greeted from down the sidewalk, waving as to get his attention even though the street was close to empty. He couldn't have missed her if he'd tried.

He nodded in acknowledgment of her presence and shoved his phone into his pocket as he approached her.

"Good Morning." He gave her a genuine smile. There was just something about her that he found completely endearing.

"Good Morning. Thanks again for agreeing to meet with me."

"I'm happy to do it." He found himself realizing that the statement was true.

"So, if you follow me we can get started," she began. "This location, in particular, is one of three preschools that would qualify for extra funding in a five block radius. The majority of children in this district start kindergarten at a disadvantage to their peers in other areas due to the lack of head start programs within their communities."

"Ah, Miss Moss. Great to see you again." Donna was met by a smiling woman in the front office. "I have your visitor badges ready for you if you'll just sign our log. They're waiting for you in the teacher's lounge."

"Thank you." Donna scribbled their names into a book and handled Josh a name tag with a neatly written Joshua L. that he placed on the front of his suit jacket, feeling rather silly but deciding not to balk at the security protocol in a preschool.

"Did she say they were waiting for us?" he asked Donna in an aside as they exited the front office.

"In the teacher's lounge, yes."

"And they would be. . .?"

"A few of the teachers. The kids are on a field trip to a police station this morning so a few teachers are going to provide you with a quick overview of their curriculum. I asked them to limit it to five minutes. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

"I'm so sorry," she began to ramble. "I thought I had this all worked out and then when I showed up this morning the kids were already gone and I tried to call your office to change locations but when I called your office your assistant couldn't get ahold of you and the next thing I knew you were walking down the block."

"Donna. It's really okay." He was, quite frankly, impressed with her coordination of this entire event.

She blushed a bit, a trait which he found to be utterly adorable. Though she certainly hadn't hesitated to stand up to him the day before, he could also tell she was genuinely invested in this bill. It was refreshing to him.

The teachers, true to their word, kept the overview of their needs to the allotted time. Though Josh was up to speed on the big picture, he had to admit that there were small loopholes and details that he wasn't aware of. He'd engaged in active conversation with the group for an additional few minutes, making a mental note of the highlights of their conversation, some of which would hypothetically be resolved if Senator Berkley's bill passed, some of which would not.

He thanked the teachers in the lounge and accompanied Donna and the director on a short tour of the building before exiting.

"So," he began, shoving his hand into his pocket and staring down the street. He found that he wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "You said you made arrangements at an alternate location."

"I did, yes."

"Well maybe we should stop by," he began. "After all, you did go to the trouble of making the appointment. And last minute no less."

"That would be wonderful." She smiled and Josh felt a sense of relief he wasn't prepared for. He found himself nervous that Donna was anxious to get the morning over with. "I just need to call and confirm with them from the cab."

It had been a long time since he'd enjoyed the easy company of a beautiful woman, and though this was just a work meeting, he didn't want it to end. He wondered if perhaps he was getting rusty, missing the signals she was or wasn't giving him.

"My car's just down the block. I can drive us over there," he offered. "If that's okay," he quickly added. "We can take a cab if you'd rather."

She gave him an odd stare. "Then you'd have to come back."

"Well, yeah. But if you're not comfortable. . . "

"I'd appreciate the ride," she smiled softly. "That's very kind of you."

"I do have a request, though. Can we stop for coffee first?" he asked, nodding towards a small shop across the street. "It's a little chilly this morning."

"I like coffee," she cocked her head towards him, turning on the charm a bit. As soon as she did so she mentally scolded herself. Though Josh's charm could certainly be disarming, she'd promised herself she wouldn't fawn over him like the girls she saw on TV. She was a professional and she would conduct herself accordingly. She'd get this done on her own merits. Besides, she decided she'd have to be fooling herself to think he was really interested in a woman like her, anyway.

"Donna?" Josh was looking at her expectantly.

"Hmm?" She realized she'd been lost in her thoughts.

"Your order?" He raised his eyebrows towards her, and only then did Donna realize the barista was giving her an expectant look as well.

"Oh. Um. Small chai tea, please," she stated, unzipping her purse.

"I've got it," he assured softly, already handing his credit card over as he spouted off his standard order.

"Shouldn't you order decaf?" she asked.

"What?" He was caught completely off guard by the question.

"Because of. . ." she trailed off, biting her lip as her face flushed. She realized only after she'd spoken that she was completely out of line. She hardly knew the man!

"Because of what?" Josh asked, now intrigued.

"Nevermind," she quietly backed down. "It's none of my business. I'm sorry."

Unsure why the woman that yesterday went toe to toe with him in The West Wing had practically folded into herself, Josh changed his order to decaf and paid for both of their drinks, watching Donna curiously.

They silently moved to the opposite end of the counter and waited for their drinks, neither of them speaking until they exited the building.

"My car's right here," Josh stated, opening the door for her as she climbed inside. He rounded the front of the vehicle and slid into the driver's seat before starting the ignition and pulling into traffic. She provided him directions, the confidence in her voice growing.

Before long she was spouting off statistics about headstart programs and the value of education.

He decided that he was even more enamored with her when she was passionately arguing her case. She was talking faster and faster, rattling off statistics and adding in quirky anecdotes that he was surprised to find endearing.

"It's right here," she pointed towards a small school as Josh pulled into a parking spot and shut off the engine, pausing for a moment.

He found himself considering her carefully, unsure is she was incredible or crazy or both, but he was absolutely positive she was one of a kind.


	3. Chapter 3

Josh and Donna toured the Early Childhood Education Center, roaming the halls and peeking into a class with the encouragement of the director.

Truthfully, Josh had fully supported the proposed funding even before his outing with Donna, but he did have to admit that seeing first hand what the legislation would change was making a huge impact on him. He wasn't a kid person, that was for sure, but he wasn't heartless, either. He knew that education was the answer to many of the problems facing the country today, and if he could give preschoolers a leg up on the rest of their lives, he'd be happy to do so. He told her as much, and promised that he would do his best to create a bipartisan coalition to get this funding through the House and Senate. He'd personally take it to the President.

They made their way down the artwork lined hallways, Donna stopping to look at a grouping of handprints made into flowers, and smiling as she closely inspected one in particular before they resumed their stroll.

He'd silenced his ringing cell phone multiple times, finding that he wanted to extend his morning with her as long as possible.

He opened the door to the playground for her and stepped outside, looking around at the brightly colored slides and swings and the sidewalk chalk art on the concrete.

He felt his nerves rise, and some butterflies appear in his stomach as he found the nerve to ask her what he'd been trying to say all morning.

"So," he began, trying to sound smooth and natural, "Can I take you out to dinner sometime?"

She turned her head and stared at him for a moment, not expecting his offer in the least. Though it was tempting, she didn't take it too personally. She knew Josh's reputation. The man had a fan club, for crying out loud.

"I'm flattered," She told him, giving him a sad smile for a moment.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" He tried to make a joke, though he felt his stomach drop at her rejection.

"It's complicated," she explained. "And I just don't have a lot of time to date right now."

The double doors to the building opened, distracting both of them, and a rush of children came out the doors, running toward the playground equipment.

"How about a drink?" He tried again. "Surely you have time for a drink." He didn't want to push the issue or come on too strong, but something about the way she'd answered him made him think that she was just as drawn to him as he was to her.

"Mama!" Their conversation was interrupted by a flash of blonde hair in a pink dress crashing into Donna's legs. "You're here!"

"Hi, Princess." Donna beamed down at the carbon copy of herself. "I'm here having a special meeting. Can you say hello to Mr. Lyman?"

The little girl glanced up at Josh and scooted closer to her mother. "Hi." she whispered softly.

Josh's eyebrows were still raised in a mild form of shock. "Hello," he smiled back. She was a cute little kid, there was no denying that. "What's your name?"

The little girl looked to her mother before answering.

"It's okay," Donna assured. "You can tell him."

"Maddie," she whispered, still holding her mother's hand.

"Well my name is Josh. Your mom just showed me around your school. It's nice. Do you like it here?"

Maddie nodded her head affirmatively.

"Yeah," Donna confirmed. "You love school."

"And my teacher," Maddie added on her own accord.

"And Miss Watson, yes," Donna agreed. "Now go play with your friends. I love you and I'll pick you up this afternoon, okay?"

"Okay," Maddie ran over to join a group of other children waiting in line for the slide while Josh and Donna made their way around the building and out the secure front gate.

They'd remained quiet as they strolled back to the sidewalk, and Donna took the silence as the need to rescind his offer and flea. It was exactly what she'd feared.

"About my offer earlier," he began.

"It's okay." she gave a self deprecating smile, looking at her shoes for a moment. "We can forget it happened. You don't have to explain."

"No, that's not what I meant." He was having a hard time finding the words. Quite frankly, he was surprised he wasn't already halfway back to the White House. "I'm drinking decaf," he suddenly stated, turning to look at her while taking a sip of coffee. "Are you going to tell me why I ordered the decaf?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, closing it again.

"Just say it, Donna. I promise it won't even be the top 10 list of the most absurd things I've heard this week," he gave her an amused grin.

"It's bad for your heart," she muttered softly.

"What did you just say to me?" his face fell as he felt a strange feeling wash over him. Josh stared at her for a moment, sure that he'd misheard her.

"It's bad for your heart," she repeated a little louder, squeezing her eyes closed.

He swallowed hard, completely thrown off of his game. "And how would you know what my heart needs?"

"I don't." She looked away from him nervously, staring down the street at nothing. "But caffeine after a major cardiac event usually isn't advisable."

"And you. . ." he swallowed, unable to find the words. "You're familiar with my medical history?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment, looking back towards him. "Well yes, Josh. Believe it or not I have seen the news in the last two years."

"Right." He blinked a few times, completely baffled.

"I was out of line. I didn't mean to bring it up."

A small smile began to cross Josh's face. "It's kind of. . . I don't know. . . nice."

"Nice?" Now it was her turn to be shocked.

"Yeah. Nice." And it was nice. Nobody else in his life seemed to care enough lately to say anything. "Are you seeing someone?"

"No." She shook her head. There hadn't been anyone for longer than she cared to admit.

"Okay. So I'll ask one last time, and then I swear I won't bring it up again. Can I take you out sometime?"

Donna smiled genuinely. "I'd like that. Lunch on Monday?"

Josh smiled a full dimpled grin. "Morton's on Pennsylvania? 1:00?"

"It's a date."


	4. Chapter 4

Josh returned to the White House and was quickly swept away into a busy day, but his good mood didn't go unnoticed.

"What's gotten into you today," CJ asked as she fell into stride next to him on the way to Leo's office.

"Nothing. Just having a good day."

CJ raised her eyebrows at him. "You don't have 'good' days. You have days when you're a man on a mission to single handedly take out the GOP and you have days when you are unbearably arrogant. This is neither of those. So what gives?"

Josh shrugged his shoulders, not willing to jinx his impending date with Donna.

"Fine. You've forced my hand," CJ said with an exaggerated sigh followed by a joking smile. "I'll pry it out of Sam after this meeting."

Josh shook his head with amusement as he stepped into Leo's office, shrugging into his suit jacket in anticipation of entering the Oval.

"Alright, Let's get down to business." Leo strode into his office and rounded the corner to stand behind his desk, wasting no time as he dropped a pile of folders onto his desk and began to flip through them, glancing up over his glasses at Senior Staff. "For those of you that are unaware, this is Josh. He's supposed to be my deputy but given the fact that he's wearing a NAME TAG my confidence in his ability to wrestle Congress into submission is waning."

All eyes glanced over to Josh who stared down at the sticker on his jacket from the first elementary school.

"You know what that's from?" he began, peeling the sticker off of his lapel. "It's from a preschool I toured this morning. They're eligible for additional funding with the bill that Senator Berkley is sponsoring."

"You toured a school?" Leo stopped what he was doing and stared at Josh, waiting for a response.

"Two of them, actually," Josh corrected.

"Is this going to be in the news cycle?" CJ inquired. "Did you make a scene of any sort?"

"No, I did not make a scene!" Josh scoffed. "I was at a preschool on official business."

"With a republican delegation," Toby drawled from the corner. "It was a valid question."

"We talked about that legislation after your meeting yesterday," Leo regained control of the conversation. "I told you we'd take it to the President but they're going to have to make some changes to the language. So were you at the preschool getting into the language or do you need more work to do?"

"I was touring with Berkley's aid to see first hand the impact that the proposed changes would make in early childhood education. And I've got some ideas on the wording and the funding that could really turn this into a shining example of bipartisan cooperation and offer a much needed service to the youth of this country."

"Yeah." Leo gave him an odd look. "Which is why I told you we'd take it to the President."

"OHHHH," Sam had his revelation outloud. "The aid. Berkley's aid. The blonde."

"And there it is," CJ pointed to Sam with an amused grin. "Minimal prompting."

"Her name is Donna," Josh explained. "And she's really knowledgeable. I think she has some great ideas and if she's the point person on this one for Berkley's office I'd be glad to handle it on our end."

"Give it to Sam." Toby didn't bother to stand from his chair.

"You're making the decisions on this?" Leo glanced over to Toby.

"Give it to Sam," Toby repeated himself, "because Josh clearly has some additional interests at play with this one."

"I'm a professional! I can handle it!" Josh quickly became defensive.

"Debatable." Leo mumbled. "Sam takes the lead, you can work it with him if time permits. He needs to be in the loop for the education portion of the campaign speeches anyway. Besides, if its a bipartisan bill you won't need to be worried about any kind of a whip count so your time will be better served working on something else."

Josh huffed in irritation. Things had gotten out of control and he wasn't at all amused by the thought of Sam spending time with Donna when he could be the one working so closely with her. It would, however, make his romantic interest in her seem like less of a conflict. He decided he'd take whatever time with her he could get.

"A Republican?" CJ playfully elbowed him as they strode down the corridor after the meeting. "Never thought I'd see the day Josh Lyman was getting all hot and bothered by a Republican."

"I'm not hot and bothered," he huffed. "She's just a smart woman and I think we can collaborate well on this."

CJ raised her eyebrows at him. Over the past years Josh had become one of her best friends and a surrogate brother. She could see right through him on this particular topic. Though it gave the press secretary inside of her a bit of anxiety to think of him falling all over himself for Senator Berkley's staffer, the friend that wanted to see Josh happy won out. She'd keep her eyes open though. For as much of a lady's man as Josh pretended to be, CJ knew better. And if this woman was using Josh for political gain, CJ wasn't afraid to eat her alive in Josh's defense. Senior Staff was a family, and they took care of their own.

Josh and CJ parted ways for their respective offices, CJ grinning from ear to ear and Josh getting progressively worked up in the denial of his feelings along the way. Even though he had returned to his office, Josh's mind far away from focusing on his work. All he could think of was Donna. It was safe to say he was ensorcelled. He picked up his phone several times, trying to think of an excuse to call her, but finally settled on a different method. He pulled out his cell and typed out a message, calling himself a chicken in the process.

He informed her he'd taken the plan to Leo and the President, and he really thought they could get some things done with her help. _Looking forward to Monday_ , he'd added, clicking send before he had time to talk himself out of it.

His heart beat rapidly just thinking about seeing her again.


	5. Chapter 5

Josh sat at his regular table at Morton's on Monday afternoon, his leg bobbing nervously under the table. He was a world class political operative and while he could typically hide his tells and wall off any emotion, but the thought of sharing a meal with Donna rendered him incapable of taming his nerves.

He'd checked his watch repeatedly, knowing he was a bit early to the restaurant but unable to help himself. Finally, she walked in, pausing for a moment to scan the sea of people before spotting him and giving him a soft smile. He felt his heart flutter as he rose to greet her when she approached their table.

She grinned at his chivalry, unable to pretend that she wasn't already feeling a little bit enamored at simply the sight of him.

"Hi," he grinned. "You look great."

"It's good to see you." She tried to remain composed as he lightly touched her arm in greeting before she slid into the booth across from him.

They made smalltalk for a few moments, discussing the ongoing construction in Dupont Circle and the weather as they both perused the menu.

Donna ordered a garden salad and Josh requested a well done steak.

"I'll have the baked salmon and the vegetable of the day, please," Sam interjected, sliding in next to Josh and catching both Josh and Donna off guard. "Sorry, I'm late. Scoot over." Sam added, nudging Josh.

The waiter jotted down the order and left the table to themselves.

"What are you doing here, man?" Josh raised his eyebrows and stared at Sam, wishing he'd take a hint.

"I didn't realize you had this meeting scheduled. I dropped by your office to pick up your notes on the thing and Jude told me you were meeting Donna for lunch." He reported perkily before turning his attention to Donna. "I do apologize. I'm usually very punctual. I'm Sam Seaborn, by the way."

Donna gave an awkward smile and a slight nod of understanding.

"So," Sam looked between them. "What did I miss?"

"Well…" Donna shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "Josh was just telling me he's a Mets fan."

"Ah. Indeed." Sam nodded.

"Sam! We aren't here for a working lunch." Josh blurted.

"Oh? Oh!" Sam was taken back, but he grinned approvingly. "Oh. Well. I'll just let them know I'll take mine to go and wait in the front."

"Bye." Josh practically shooed him away.

"Sam. Wait." Donna stopped him. "There's no reason you can't join us."

Sam paused for a moment but eventually relented. "Alright. Just until my take out is ready."

Though Josh was annoyed at the thought of Sam ruining their date, he quickly lightened up and eventually enjoyed the conversation. Donna had a way of making everyone around her feel quickly at ease, and he found himself enjoying listening to her chat easily with Sam.

When the food arrived at their table, Sam said his goodbyes and the two were alone again.

"So you know I'm originally from Connecticut, and Sam's from California as he just told you. If you're working in Senator Berkley's office, am I to assume you're from the Dairy State?"

"I am. I grew up there." She nodded her head. "It's a long story but I started working for Senator Berkley the summer before my junior year of undergrad and I stayed on his staff part time until I graduated. I knew I wanted to move to DC so when an opening in his Washington office came up, I jumped on it. That was a little over a year ago."

"And you enjoy working in Republican politics?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Josh. . ." She was warning him to stay away from dangerous waters. She really didn't want to get into this with him on their first date. "I enjoy what I do, yes. This education bill isn't about partisan politics, it's about creating a program that will improve lives."

"Well, that one maybe. But in general. . ." he grumbled.

"Josh." She quickly shut him down.

"Sorry." He at least had the decency to look sheepish.

They discussed movies and books and traveling, Josh sharing his new found interest in physics and Donna telling him bits of about everything from the Roman Empire to Disney animators along the way. Josh couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so at ease with another person.

At one point, when he was completely enchanted as she was cheerfully rambling on about a topic that felt right out of Big Block of Cheese Day, Josh knew he was a goner. He'd made her laugh and she'd made him see things in a new way. His heart was absolutely swelling and he never wanted their lunch to end. In fact, he was practically kicking himself for asking her out to lunch to begin with. He should have, he reprimanded himself, taken her out for a nice dinner and dancing.

His phone, which had been ringing through their lunch, was chirping once again and he sighed, seeing Leo's desk number and knowing he had to take it.

"Go ahead." She nodded in understanding, somehow knowing he was torn about taking the call.

He answered, keeping his conversation with Leo unusually brief, and clicked the phone closed again.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Josh. You're a powerful man. When you're phone rings, it's important.

He gave her an odd look, realizing after a moment that she was being genuine. The three women in his life, though admittedly few and far between, hadn't been able to comprehend that part of his job.

"Would you like to go out again sometime?" He blurted. He'd coached himself not to be too over eager but he couldn't help it. They'd been sitting at a lunch table for almost two hours and was absolutely certain that he wanted to see her again.

She gave him a bright smile and nodded. "I would like that."

"Tomorrow night?" He suggested. "Dinner and a drink.?

"Oh. Umm. I can't do tomorrow. How about next week?"

"Oh." He tried to hide the defeat he felt at the prospect of having to wait an entire week to see her again. "Sure."

She quickly saw right through him.

"It's not that I don't want to," she rushed to amend. "It's that Mrs. Zellner, my babysitter, is out of town all week."

"Ah." Josh had a moment of realization, relieved to hear that her hesitation had nothing to do with the way she felt about him. "Well, I propose a counter offer."

"Oh?"

"What time does Maddie go to bed?"

"Usually by 8. . . Why?"

"How about this. . . I'll call you tomorrow night at 8:30. Maybe we can just get to know each other a little more?"

"That sounds. . . Amazing." She was practically gushing.

Josh paid the bill and walked her out, his hand placed gently on the small of her back.

"I'll call you," he reiterated before they parted ways.

"I'm counting on it," she retorted, already looking forward to 8:30.


End file.
